The Dress

This was a dream dress for me. It was bridal and formal, but I felt really relaxed and taken care of in this dress and by this dress.

It's made from luxurious Italian Silk Crepe with a full circle skirt that sat just above my hips and floated effortlessly. The skirt was light and easy to pick up, dance in, and has loops to gather round the wrist (concealed and can be removed if preferred), and also pull up the long skirt at the back. The dress allowed me to feel like myself but my most glorious. I could move and glide and feel wonderful.

It's corseted, with a draped bodice, which shapes everything and looks great on either a large or small bust. It's a stretch corset which meant I was very comfortable on the day. There's no need for a bra and I loved being able to go bare shouldered. The bodice has a sort of Vivienne Westwood vibe, which is pretty much what sold it to me. The rich fabric felt fabulous.

I loved it so so much.

I am 5'6, and was a UK size 8 (30E chest) and wore flats on the day.

The dress was a sample 6 but I altered it to make it bigger and change some aesthetics. (See below for all details). So it's a hybrid size.

I have changed shape since my wedding day, so the measurements are taken from the dress itself.

60 cm - waist
81cm - bust
26.67cm - length of corset down front (longest bit)
107.95cm - shortest length down the front of the skirt

The dress has been professionally cleaned; there are a few superficial flaws (happy to share photos).

You are welcome to view the gown before purchasing (London, SW4). Please feel free to contact me if you want any further information or pictures.

https://www.halfpennylondon.com/halfpennylondon-collections/p/charlotte-dress

Alterations

I bought this as a sample dress size 6 and it felt a tight so we upped it by a dress size, replacing the zip at the back with a panel and silk covered buttons for aesthetic reasons (I didn't like the zip). We also widened the waist by editing the zip. The professional dressmaker who made these adjustments has said that the dress could be further widened if the person who bought it wanted to make it a bigger around the corset and waist.

We adjusted the straps from a halter option into arms straps that could be worn raised on low on the arms. All this is detailed in the photos.